Injection or “dosing” of nitrogen (N2) into containers has come into increasingly widespread practice in packaging of non-carbonated contents in order to increase package rigidity (by increasing internal pressure), as well as for enhancing shelf life, flavor, and freshness of a container's contents. Nitrogen injection systems typically employ liquid nitrogen, which gasifies attendant to container dosing.
While current nitrogen dispensing systems typically provide accurate dispensing of nitrogen, process parameters apart from the injection system create variability which acts to limit the effectiveness of traditional injection systems. Typically, injection systems employed heretofore introduce nitrogen into a container, such as on a bottling line, well in advance of the point at which a closure is applied to a container, sealing it. In such arrangements, the nitrogen, which may be in liquid form, comes to rest on top of the product being packaged, and depending on the fill level, distance from point of closure application, and amount of product spillage that occurs as the package is placed in a position to be sealed, the effectiveness of the nitrogen dose can vary. In total, all of these variables undesirably act to reduce the effectiveness and reliability of current nitrogen dosing systems.
The present invention is directed to a capping apparatus including a nitrogen dosing system which has been specifically configured to overcome shortcomings associated with previously known arrangements by effecting injection of nitrogen, or a like inert gas, into containers just prior to application of a closure to each container by the apparatus.